Gas valve locking attachment



Sept. 13, 1932. J. w. PLATT GAS VALVE LOCKING ATTACHMENT Filed March 14, 1950 3140044 602 J uhn W. Plafi 10 valve cock or valve casing in Patented Sept. 13, 1932 JOHN W. PLATT, F WATERVILIJE, CONNECTICUT GAS VALVE LOCKING ATTACHMENT Application filed March 14, ,1930. Serial No. 435,759.

This invention relates to gas valves, and more particularly to a safetylocking attachment for preventing the valve cock of a gas range burner from being accidentally turned One object of the present invention is to provide a safety locking attachmentof the above naturewhich may be readily installed without changing the construction of the any manner. A further object is toprovide a device of the above nature in which the valve will be automatically looked by the operation of turning the handle of the valve cock to the 15 off position. I

-A further object is to providea device of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture,

easyto install and manipulate, compact, or-

E name'ntal in appearance, and very eflicientanddurable in use.

With-these and other objects in view there .have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig.1:represents a top plan view of the locking attachment.

Fig/2 is a side view of the same.

I ig. dis a sectional end view of the same, thesection being taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a-side view of a gas valve cock and operating position, the valve being in the on pos1tion.

Fig. 5iis a'view similar to Fig. 4, but with 'the'valve locked in the off position.

:Fig56 is a top plan view of a modified form of'valve locking attachment.

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals denote corresponding par tsthroughout the several views, the 4 gas valve locking attachment herein dis- "closed comprises a short hollow tubular sle'eve member having a lower'cylindrical section :10 and1a short upper frustoconical tapered section 11. The locking attachment 5. is adapted-to fit loosely around a vertical screwed upon the i sectlon 17. The valve plug 12 is fitted within a hollow valve body or casing '22 formed sublegs 23 and 24 ninety degrees around the valve plug 12. *casing with the locking attachment shown in .i .space-will -be left between the shoulder v32 and the'righthand end of the arcu'aterslot 29,

valve cook or plug 12 having an enlarged upper socket 13for receiving a horizontal tapered porcelain hollow handle 14. The handle 14 is-adapted to be held'inp'lace by a screwv rod threaded into the socket 13, said screw rod having a slotted head 15 located outside the larger end 16 of the handle, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

The vertical valve @plug '12 has areduced bottom section 17 which is surrounded-atits lower end by a Washer .18 and a helical spring 19, the .latter 'beingheld under compression between said washer 18Ianda second washer 20 adjustably held "by a nut .21 lower end of the .reduced stantially in the shape of a cross and'havin'g enlarged upper and a .pair of horizontal threaded inner and outer cylindrical pipes and 26. The outer end of thepipe .26 is adapted to be connected to agas-supply pipe 27, While the inner end 25 is adaptedto receive a gas-regulating needle valve member ln order toprevent therotation ofthe valve plug 12 beyond the on position, the upper leg 23 of the valve casing 22 is provided Wi upper edgeextending an arcuate slot 29 in its the circumference of said casing, said slot 29 slidably-receiving :a in 30projecting laterally'from oneside of For the purpose oflockingthe valve plug 12 in the off position, the upp er.con-i'calsection 11 of said sleeveisprovided onits interior edge withan arc-shaped lug 31-, said lug having its upper surface flush with the top of the sleeve and havinga beveled lower surface 31a inclined downwardly from top to bottom in an outward direction.

The lug'31 has a pair of radial end shoulders 82 and 33 adapted to engage theapin 30 andtheend of the slot 29 respectively whenthe plug. 12 has been swung to the ofi position.

The angle subtended by the arcuatelu'g 31 somewhat less than 90degrees so that a and lower vertical tapered I having a locking lug ing' arc-shaped as in vention, 1s wedge-shaped as viewed in Figs. i and 5, sufficiently large to just receive the pin of the plug 12 when the handle has been swung to the oil position, thereby locking the valve cock from bein g accidentally turned on.

In order to prevent the locking sleeve from rotating with the plug 12, the lower cylindrical section 10 of the locking sleeve is provided with a pair of semi-circular recesses 34. and shaped to fit over the pipe sections 25 and 26 respectively. 1

Operation In operation, when'it' is desired to place the locking sleeve upon the gas valve, the plug 12 will first be removed from the casing 2 and the sleeve pushed upwardly around said plug from below. The plug will then be inserted in operating position within the casing 22, and the sleeve twisted to permit the slots 34 and 35 to drop over the pipe ends 25 and 26 respectively, as shown in Fig. l. lVhen the handle is turned to the foil 'aosition, the sleeve will drop by gravity a further distance causing the lug 31 to enter and substantially fill the slot 29 and positively lock the valve lug 12 against accidentally being turned on.

lVhen it is desired to turn on the gas, it will only be necessary for the operator to lift the locking sleeve upwardly, using the fingers of one hand, until the lug 31 has become disengaged from the slot 2-9. The valve handle 14;.

may then be turned from the off position shown in Fig. 5 to the on position shown in Fig. 4:, the sleeve attachment remaining in the unlocked raised position shown in Fig. 4 as long as the gas valve is open.

To again close the valve, the operator will move the handle 1% from the open position shown in Fig. l to the closed position shown in Fig. 5, it being unnecessary to touch the locking sleeve which will drop by gravity into the off position, the lug 31 then lying in the slot 29 in interlocking engagement with the pin 30. In this position the locking sleeve will prevent the valve from accidentally being opened.

' In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 6 a locking-sleeve is disclosed 36, which instead of bethe first form of the inin plan view, having a straight inner edge 37 intersecting the circular inner periphery of the upper section of the sleeve at a point 38. The lug 36 also has a shoulder 39 corresponding to the shoulder 33 of the first form of lug 31. The upper surface of the lug 36 is flush with the upper surface of the sleeve, and the under surface 0 said lug is outwardly tapered, as in the first form of locking sleeve.

It will be understood that if desired, the locking sleeve may be made inoperative by raising it upwardly and rotating it with respect to the valve body. When in this position, the valve may be turned on and 0E in= dependently of the locking sleeve.

l/Vhile there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, andfor which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a gas valve, a casing having an arcuate slot in its upper edge, a valveplug rotatable in said casing and having a lateral pin partially filling said slot, a rotatable tubular;

locking member surrounding said valve plug and substantially embracing said casing, said locking member having an interior lug at its upper edge adapted todrop by gravity into said slot, said lug mainder of said slot to lock said valve plug in the oil position.

2. In a gas valve, a ate slot in its upper edge,

casing having an aroua valve plug rotatable in said casing and having a lateral pin" partially filling said slot, a rotatable tubular locking member surrounding said valve plug and substantially embracing said casing, said locking member having an interior lug at its upper edge adapted to drop by gravityinto said slot, said lug filling substantially the remainder of said slot to lock said valve plug in the off position, said lug being flush with the top of said tubular member. 3. In a gas valve, a casing having an arcuate slot in its upper edge, a valve plug rotatable in said casing and having a lateral pin partially filling said slot, a rotatable tubular locking member surrounding said valve plug and substantiallyembracing said casing, said locking member having an interior lug at its upper edge adapted to drop by gravity into said slot, said lug filling substantially the remainder of said slot to lock said valve plug in the off position, said lug having a radial shoulder at one end. w 4. In a gas valve, a casing havingan arcuate slot in its upper edge, a valve plug rotatable in said casing and having a lateral pin partially filling saidslot, a rotatable tubular locking member surrounding said valve plug and substantially embracing said casing, said locking member having an interior lug at its upper edge adapted to drop by gravity into said slot, said lug filling substantially the remainder of said slot to lock said valve plug in the off position, saidlug having radial shoulders at its extremities.

5. In a gas valve, a casing filling substantially the rehaving an arcuate slot in its upper edge, a valve plug rotatable in said casing and having a lateral pin partially filling said slot, a rotatable tubular lockin member surrounding said valve plug and su stantially embracing said casing, said locking member having an interior lug at its upper edge adapted to drop by gravity into said slot, said lug filling substantially the remainder of said slot to lock said valve plug in the OE position, the under surface of said lug being inclined outwardly.

6. In a'gas valve, a casing having an armate slot in its upper edge, a valve plug r0tatable in said casing and having a lateral pin partially filling said slot, a rotatable tubular locking member surrounding said valve plug, said locking member having an interior lug adapted to drop by gravity into said slot, said lug filling substantially the remainder of said slot to lock said valve plug in the off position, said lug being wedge-shaped in plan view and having a straight inner edge.

7. In a gas valve, a casing having an arouate slot in its upper edge, a valve plug rotatable in said casing and having a lateral pin in said slot, a rotatable tubular locking member surrounding said valve plug and having depending means for detachably engaging the sides of said casing to normally prevent rotation of said tubular locking member, and

means on said locking member prO ecting.

into said slot for engaging said pin to lock the valve plug in the off position.

In testimony whereof, I have affixed my signature to this specification.

JOHN W. PLATT. 

